A Warbler Apology
by Eileen
Summary: The Warblers come to see Blaine while he recovers. A short missing scene of reconciliation.


Blaine wasn't asleep when his dad knocked. He was **sleepy**, sure – the medication made him sleepy – but he wasn't asleep just yet. He didn't want to go to sleep; every time he tried, he had horrible nightmares where Sebastian's tainted slushie had hit its intended target, and Kurt was the one lying on the ground screaming in pain. He just couldn't take it anymore.

But an eye for an eye was not the answer. Sure, he'd wanted to hurt Sebastian, just like he'd wanted to hurt those creeps who'd beaten him up at his old school. But that just brought you down to their level, and he couldn't do that. Sebastian would get what was coming to him, one way or the other.

"When we're rich and famous," Kurt had said on one of his many after-school visits, "we'll make it a point not to invite him to any of our openings or shows or whatever we do. And we'll put the word out so that no one goes to his shows or openings or whatever he does. If he's not working behind a fast-food counter, that is."

"I just hate that he's getting away with this, and no one's doing anything," Blaine had said.

"Justice and vengeance aren't the same thing. Everything that goes around, comes around. God will get him in the end."

"I guess so."

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear his dad knock the first time. When he knocked again, a little louder, Blaine started and looked up at the open door.

"Did I wake you up?" Jack Anderson asked his son.

"No, no. What's up?"

"You've got company. Do you feel up for them?"

"Them? Who is it?"

His dad smiled. "Some people who say they owe you an apology. Should I send them up?"

He knew who it was now. "Sure. I'll see them."

A few minutes later, the Warblers came in, and at first none of them would look him in the eye. He supposed they thought he was mad at them, but he didn't blame them at all. He couldn't.

"Blaine," Nick began, "we're really sorry about what happened."

"Yeah," said Jeff. "We didn't know Sebastian was gonna do that. I mean, that's playing dirty, and we don't ever play dirty."

"I forgive you," Blaine said. "I hope you at least kicked him out of the Warblers."

The guilty looks on their faces made him ask, "What? What's wrong?"

"There's an investigation going on," said Jeff, "but . . . his dad made a huge donation to the Alumni Fund. Money talks."

"He won't get away with this," Blaine said. "My dad's talking to his lawyer . . . there might be criminal charges."

"Well, good luck with that, man. Hope your lawyer's better than his."

They just stood there for a moment, and then Nick asked, "So, are you going to be performing at Regionals?"

"I don't know. Hopefully, if all goes well and everything heals the way it's supposed to, I can make it. But right now, I'd just like to get one good night's sleep."

"I hear you, man. I wish . . . I wish I could go back in time and stop him, you know? Make it so it didn't happen."

"He would have just done something else. And maybe this time, I wouldn't have been there to take the hit."

"How's Kurt?" Jeff asked.

"He's okay. He comes to see me every day. Brings me my homework and stuff. I think he wishes things had been different, too."

There was another of those long silences. Blaine was about to say something when Nick spoke up. "Some of us are thinking about quitting."

"What?"

"Let's see him win Regionals by himself!" Jeff said, but Nick silenced him with a look.

"Yeah, if we win because of his dirty tricks, it'll be worse than losing. We don't want to win like that."

"Guys," Blaine said, looking around at them. "You can't do that. You can't let him win. Don't throw everything away because Sebastian's a jerk. Prove to everyone that you're better than he is."

"Easy for you to say," said Thad. "You don't have four classes a day with him smirking in your face. He's so confident that we won't say anything that he didn't even mind us coming over here."

"You'll notice he's not here with us," said a boy Blaine didn't immediately recognize. "He didn't care enough to come."

"Or he was too afraid to show his face," Blaine said.

Nick scoffed. "He doesn't have enough sense to be afraid."

"Guys," Blaine said, sitting up straight and looking from one to another, "we can't let him get us down. One of our show choirs is going to win Regionals, not by hurting anyone else, but by holding our heads high and singing our hearts out. And the best team will win, honestly and fairly. Even if I'm not there to perform, I'll definitely be there to watch, and I'll congratulate the winning team, whichever one it ends up being."

"I just wish you weren't on the other side," Jeff said.

"Me, too. Now I know how Kurt felt at last year's Regionals. I love him, and I want to be with him, but I miss you guys. If New Directions doesn't win, I hope you do. I really do." He winked his good eye. "But don't tell Kurt I said that."

One by one they came up and gave him a handshake, a high five, or a hug. The last one in line said, "Good luck, Blaine. You're our hero."

And it was then that Blaine knew who he was. "Anthony? Wow, you, um . . . grew."

"I'm not a freshman anymore. But you're still my campus buddy, even if we're not on the same campus anymore."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me." At the start of the last school year, before Kurt transferred, Blaine had been part of a program pairing upperclassmen with incoming freshmen, and Anthony had been his partner. He had encouraged the younger boy to try out for the Warblers, but hadn't been around to see if he had. Well, now he knew. Anthony was in good hands now – well, mostly good hands.

"Say hi to Kurt for us," Nick said. "Tell him we're sorry we didn't stop it in time."

"I will. Take care, guys."

When they were gone, he lay back down and thought that maybe now he could sleep. Now that he and the Warblers were friends again, the only thing he had to worry about was Sebastian. And come Regionals, he would see who the better team was. With or without Blaine.

But hopefully with. Standing right beside Kurt while they accepted the first-place trophy, and Sebastian wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. Their time would come, and he was looking forward to it. On that hopeful note, Blaine fell asleep, and for the first time in days, had only sweet dreams.


End file.
